Cherished Moments

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

This means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

We looked for evidence that people and communities had the best possible outcomes because their needs were assessed. We checked that people’s care, support and treatment reflected these needs and any protected equality characteristics, ensuring people were at the centre of their care. We also looked for evidence that leaders instilled a culture of improvement, where understanding current outcomes and exploring best practice was part of their everyday work.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

We have not awarded this service a score for Effective.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Effective.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

The service had clear exclusion criteria, which were understood and applied consistently by staff to ensure scans were safe and appropriate. Women’s needs were assessed before their appointment through the booking and consent process. Administrative staff and the sonographer reviewed consent and waiver forms before the appointment to identify any potential risks or factors that may affect the suitability of the scan.

As part of the assessment process, staff asked women about the stage of their pregnancy, the reason for the scan, previous pregnancy history and any individual needs or adjustments required. This enabled staff to identify and respond to specific needs and ensure women received a service appropriate to their circumstances.

The service ensured women understood the purpose and limitations of keepsake scans. Information provided before and during appointments made it clear that scans were intended to complement, not replace routine NHS antenatal screening or diagnostic imaging. Where concerns were identified, established referral pathways into NHS services ensured women could access further assessment and support when required.

Staff used approved scanning protocols embedded within the ultrasound equipment to support consistent and safe practice. These protocols were tailored to the type of examination and stage of pregnancy, helping to ensure scans were undertaken in line with assessed needs.

During observations, we saw the sonographer assess women’s comfort and wellbeing throughout the examination. They checked whether women were comfortable or experiencing any discomfort and adjusted positioning where necessary. For example, we observed the sonographer help a woman move into a more comfortable position to support both her comfort and the quality of the examination, which demonstrated assessing women’s needs throughout the scan.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

The service had a comprehensive range of policies and procedures that were specific to the service and reviewed annually by the registered manager. Staff knew how to access these documents. Policies reflected current legislation and national evidence-based guidance, including recommendations from professional bodies.

Staff regularly reviewed guidance, safety alerts, and best practice recommendations issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS), and the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR). The service adhered to BMUS’ As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) principles, this meant sonographers used the lowest possible ultrasound output and the shortest scan duration necessary to achieve the required imaging.

The service used the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) and Society of Radiographers ‘Pause and Check’ checklist. During scans, the sonographer completed the required safety checks, including confirming the woman’s identity, obtaining consent, and providing clear information and instructions throughout the examination.

Staff received regular appraisals and clinical supervision, and sonographers' competency was assessed through structured observations against an established competency framework. Regular team meetings were held, and staff told us they found these valuable for sharing information and discussing service developments.

The registered manager carried out regular audits and provided feedback to the team. We saw evidence of weekly, 6 monthly and yearly audits. These included hand washing, staff competency, recruitment and client records. From July 2026, the service planned to change its governance audit programme to an external platform. Audit frequencies and reporting will be managed through this, to ensure a structured and consistent programme of quality assurance.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

Staff worked collaboratively to provide coordinated, person-centred care. Sonographers and reception staff communicated effectively before, during and after appointments, supporting each another to ensure women received a positive experience. Feedback, learning and service updates were routinely shared between teams to promote consistent practice and continuous improvement.

The service worked effectively with other services to ensure people received appropriate and timely care. Established links with local NHS Early Pregnancy Assessment Units (EPAUs) enabled sonographers to make referrals, with the person's consent, when further assessment or treatment was required. Where an urgent referral was needed, sonographers contacted the relevant EPAU directly to help ensure women could be seen without unnecessary delay.

Clear referral pathways were in place to support women when unexpected findings, such as suspected foetal abnormalities or miscarriage, were identified. Sonographers explained their findings sensitively, outlined the reasons for their clinical decisions, and referred women to the appropriate NHS service for further assessment. Women were also provided with copies of their scan images and relevant information to support ongoing care.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

Staff adopted a supportive and informative approach, helping women feel confident in understanding their options and directed them towards additional services. This promoted a positive pregnancy and wellbeing experience and allowed them to make informed choices regarding their care.

A range of health and wellbeing resources were available both within the clinic and online. These included information about signs and symptoms that should be discussed with a healthcare professional, alongside details of organisations offering emotional and practical support, including support following pregnancy or baby loss.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

The service monitored outcomes and reviewed performance data to identify areas for improvement. Between 1 November 2025 and 29 June 2026, the service completed 748 booked appointments at the Stratford location, including ultrasound scans and blood tests. During this period, 79 rescan appointments were recorded. The service reviewed the reasons for rescans and identified that the majority followed Early Scans and 4D Scans. After reviewing this data staff recognised that most rescans were when the pregnancy was at an earlier stage than expected or where the baby's position makes it difficult to obtain the images families are hoping for. The booking process was altered to place more emphasis on pregnancy gestational age. This aimed to reduce avoidable rescans, improve the likelihood of obtaining the required images at the first appointment, reduce inconvenience for women and their families, and make more effective use of appointment capacity.

As part of continuous improvement, the service reviewed booking information and updated its website guidance to clearly recommend that Early Scans are undertaken from 7 weeks onwards. This aimed to ensure women had accurate information before booking, improve understanding of what could be achieved during the scan, and reduce avoidable rescan appointments.

The service used a range of governance processes to drive continuous improvement. This included regular competency assessments, peer review of ultrasound images and supervision of sonographers to support safe and effective practice. Managers monitored the quality and safety of the environment and equipment through routine audits.

The service also monitored when a client was referred to EPAU. This was recorded and discussed with the team and the sonographer. Outcomes following a EPAU referral were then followed up with the client to inform service learning.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centered care and treatment.

The service had a consent policy in place which reflected current legislation and best practice. The policy included the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and included guidance on assessing capacity, documenting consent, and recognising a person's right to withdraw consent at any stage.

Staff supported women to make decisions. Clients were required to complete and sign a health questionnaire and consent form prior to their appointment. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the principles of informed consent and the importance of assessing a person's capacity to make decisions.

We observed staff reviewing the consent process with women on arrival and checking they understood the purpose and limitations of the scan before proceeding. Staff took time to discuss individual preferences, including how women wished to receive information about their baby's gender, and sought consent throughout the examination where appropriate. Interpreter services were available to support communication and help ensure informed decisions could be made.